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Poetry

Emmanuel Aronie Poems

Emmanuel Aronie – Poet and Screenwriter

At a time of war, pain, sorrow and living with the unknown, Emmanuel Aronie lives without fear. He has no complaints. Asked why he came to Ukraine last August, he says he just felt inspired to come to Ukraine with the intention of supporting  the people and their culture against Russian imperialism.

At the same time, he had decided during his visit that he would use his time in Ukraine to work on a sci-fi screenplay  titled ´The God Pill’. But 8000 words into the project, the play stalled and Emmanuel found himself writing poetry – political poetry – war poetry. The screenplay was done.

To him,  this spontaneity of pro Ukrainian poetry was surprising. And yet not surprising.

Now in his seventies, he  has visited Ukraine several times in the nineties. Despite being  American born and bred, his ancestry includes three Ukrainian grandparents and one Lithuanian grandparent. Is it surprising that he feels attached to Ukraine?

Until these poems poured out of him, Emmanuel had enjoyed his few  visits to Ukraine giving English language classes and sharing his spiritual life with those who were interested. He also founded a film club.

Now that he has allowed poetry to take the place of his story telling film script, his Ukraine-ness is subliminally outed through his expression of fury against a war not wanted, not expected and not needed. Although he writes in the English language, the poems are currently being translated by a professional translator into Ukrainian and Russian.

We are pleased to publish his early poems.

Emmanuel Aronie
Emmanuel Aronie

19 Things

Beautiful leaves strewn everywhere,

My nose loves autumn’s fragrance,

Buses zoom by, traffic lights turn,

Red, yellow, green.

People walk about on missions,

I have to pee,

But I seek to see,

Flowers, plants, veggies for sale,

Grannies sitting, selling, waiting,

Sidewalk capitalism.

An old saggy faced woman,

with a sour, pained expression.

How many moments made this face ?

A crowd around the KFC,

Fried chicken from America, wow !

Musicians make music,

People leave money in their cases.

An old couple argues,

used to each other,

oblivious to passers-by.

Poles, wires, infrastructure,

Bulki rolls full of poppy seeds,

“Two shtuk (pieces), please.”

The horse chestnuts

look like primitive weapons or aliens.

The reason Russia invaded Ukraine:

Power.

The reason they’re going to lose:

The deep abiding soul and spirit

of the Ukrainian people.

If the Russian government

believed in God,

If they could really hear God’s voice,

they would never have invaded –

robbed, raped, bombed, killed, etc.

They would be deeply ashamed

and beg for mercy.

But we all know,

this will never happen,

And this will be bad for them.

I pray for the Russian people,

who really believe in God.

But somehow, they allowed

these hooligans, gangsters

and very rich criminals

to take control of Mother Russia.

God help them all !!

That should be at least 19 things –

We’ll confirm at the prorub

(That’s the hole cut in the ice),

on Kreshchenie,

The Blessing  of the Waters,

January 19, 2023 –

See you there.

October 24, 2022

 

True Words

True Words,

will avenge those brave souls, 

stuck in prison cells,

while tyrants gloat

and unwittingly plan

their own undoing.

True Words

will avenge those brave souls,

killed and wounded,

while protecting Ukraine, 

their motherland,

as others continue

the worthy battle,

until the invader is finally gone.

True Words

will describe the unworthy deeds,

this invader has done.

Maybe, 

he stole and raped and killed

on our land.

These deeds will follow him

and like a merciless assassin,

murder him in his sleep,

poison his family

and disturb his every day.

Invader –

these are true words –

go home,

before you really hurt yourself

and cannot greet the dawn

or sleep at night,

with a joyful heart,

go home.

Wednesday September 28, 2022, Cherkassy,  Ukraine

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